De-escalation areas in Syria to boost fight against ISIL - Shoigu
ASTANA (Kazakhstan). June 7 (Interfax0-AVN) - The creation of de-escalation areas in Syria will help stop the civil war and will boost the fight against ISIL and Jabhat al-Nusra (terrorist organizations banned in Russia), Russian Defense Minister Gen. of the Army Sergei Shoigu said.
"The Memorandum on the Creation of De-Escalation Areas in Syria, which Russia, Turkey and Iran signed in Astana on May 4, opened a new stage of development in that country. This memorandum is a pivotal document. Its implementation will help stop the hostilities and practically end the civil war," Shoigu said at a meeting of the defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries in Astana.
"In addition, the fight against ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusra and affiliated militant groups will be given a boost," the minister said.
"Practical steps are being taken to implement the agreements," he said.
"It is a priority task to monitor the compliance of the conflicting sides with all of their obligations and to create conditions for restoring the damaged infrastructure and economic activity of the population," Shoigu said.
Joint efforts of Russia, Iran and Turkey, which have guaranteed the Syria ceasefire, have led to the establishment of a direct dialogue between the Syrian government and the armed opposition, he said.
"Let me say that the negotiating platform in Astana has become a key element of the Syrian settlement process. A broad range of problems, from the ceasefire implementation and humanitarian demining to the launch of direct negotiations, are being discussed there," the minister said.